Combination padlock



S. SHALER COMBINATIION PADLOCK I Filed Jan. 20, 1 22 li/"tn/es e5:

Patented Dec. 23, 1.924.

SAUL SEALER, 0F BRONX, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 ABRAHAM.SHALER,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINATION PADLOCK.

Application filed January 20, 1922. Serial No. 530,613.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAUL SEALER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Bronx, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Padlocks, ofwhich the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to combination padlocks, and particularly toimprovements on the lock shown in my United States Letters Patent No.1,3le't,l3l, issued Aug. 26, 1919, for combination padlocks. However,the invention is not limited to padlocks, and in some respects is notlimited even to combination locks.

One object of the invention is to provide a lock of this kind in whichthe combination may be changed by authorized persons, when the lock isunlocked.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus or device ofthis kind in which the lock may be operated without looking at it, aswhen in the dark or by blind persons, and in which means are provided todistinguish the front of the look from the back.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicityand elliciency of such devices and to provide a device or apparatus ofthis kind which is durable, economical to manufacture and operate andwhich will not get out of order.

For the accomplishment of these and other objects my improved lockcomprises, briefly stated, a lock having a top plate, a bottom plate, acenter plate, and end members receiving the shanks of a shackle providedwith shanks having notches. Center pin blocks carried by the centerplate have center pins alined with said notches and carrying outwardlyyieldably pressed tumblers rotatable on said pins and each provided witha polygonal portion and a reduced end engageable in one of said notchesto lock the shank and provided with a kerf alinable with the shank torelease the shank. A sleeve carried on each tumbler has indexcharacters, a polygonal portion engageable with or disengageable fromthe polygonal portion of the tumbler, and a plurality of notches one ofwhich has a steep wall. An index pin is yieldably pressed into saidnotches and permits movement in either direction except that at saidwall it permits it in only one tumbler, thereby to change thecombination of the lock.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds;and while herein details of the invention are described, the inventionis not limited to these, since many and various changes may be madeWithout departing from the scope of the in vention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example one of manypossible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved lock;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the lock;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, partly in elevation ofthe lock showing how the combination is changed;

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively side. and end elevations of the tumbler;

Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively side and end elevations of the indexsleeve;

Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively side and edge elevations of the shackle;

Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively front and inner side elevations of theend member of the lock body;

Figs. '13 and 14s are respectively side and edge elevations of thecenter plate;

Fig. 15 is a plan of the top plate of the lock body;

Fig. 16 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, of the center pinblock, drawnon a larger scale;

Fig. 17 is an end elevation of the center pin block;

Fig. 18 is a plan of the bottom plate;

Fig. 19 is a side elevation of the index pin; and

Figs. 20 and 21 are respectively edge and face views of the key.

The lock body 10 comprises a bottom plate 11, a top plate 12 havingshackle-shank receiving slots 13 (Fig. 15) at each end preferablyslightly offset from the axis of the plate. Vertical end members areprovided with index pointers 16 on the front face, an inwardly openinggroove 17 (Figs. 11 and 12) extending from end to end and also oifset alike amount and alined with said slots 13. Each end member also hasupper and lower inwardly disposed axially horizontal approximatelycylindrical holes or recesses 18, wider than and extending into andnearly as deep as said grooves 17 and preferably in center.

The shackle 20 is provided. with flat locking shanks 21 (Fig. 10)engageable in and filling said grooves 17 and. having notches 22register-able with and completing said holes 18. A center plate 23 isdisposed intermediately between said end members and provided with upperand lower openings 24 (Fig. 14) axially alined with said holes and eachreceiving a center pin block 25 (Fig. 16) fitting in each of saidopenings and each provided with a bore 26, and oppositely projectedcenter pins 27, alined with said holes 18. The deep notch 28 of thecenter plate distinguishes the front of the look from the back, whenoperated in the dark. A plurality of tumblers 30 are each formed with aninner body portion having a cylindrical portion 31 (Fig. 5), a polygonalportion 82 and an xial bore 33 slidably and rotatably received on one ofsaid pins 27. Each tumbler has an outer reduced end portion 35 rotatablein said holes or recesses 18 and provided with a transverse kerf 36centrally offset a like amount as the slots in the top plate, andregisterable with said notches 22 when the tumbler is turned in onedirection to permit the withdrawal of the shank. Said kerfs move out ofregistration with the notch when the tumbler is turned 180 or any otherangle to said registering position, thereby to prevent the withdrawal ofthe shank. An axial spring 37 compressed in said axial bore yieldablyholds the tumbler in outward position and permits it to be forcedinwardly, as presently to be explained.

A rotatable index sleeve 40 (Fig. 7) on each tumbler is provided with apolygonal outer end portion 41 slidably receiving the polygonal portionof the tumbler and forming flat index faces 42 each bearing an indexcharacter 43 adapted to be alined with the adjacent index pointer. Theinner end of each sleeve is formed with an inwardly turned flange 45provided with a series of shallow curved index notches 46 progressivelyapproaching the periphery of the sleeve, thereby to provide the endnotch 47 nearest the periphery and preferably at the zero-position, withone steep wall 48. An index spring 49 (Fig. 3) in said index bore 26yieldably presses an impulse index pin 50 (Fig. 19) into one of saidnotches 46, 47 Said pin is constructed and positioned to cam in eitherdirection from one notch to another except when stopped by said steepwall 48 in said Zero-position, whereby the position of the sleeves maybe determined without looking at the look, as when in the dark. Otherpositions may be determined by turning the sleeves from the zero-poshtion and counting the impulses of the impulse pin.

For changing the combination I provide a Hat combination changing key 52having a curved hooked end 53 (Figs. 4 and 21,) forming a laterallyturned bit 54 adaptet, when the shank 21 is removed, to enter the lockthrough said slot 13 and groove 17 and engage in one of said kerfs 36and push back the tumbler against the axial spring 37 to disengage thepolygonal portion 32 of the tumbler from the polygonal portion 41 of thesleeve, to permit the sleeve to be rotated on and relative to thetumbler to change the relation of the index characters 43 to thetumbler, thereby to change the combination of the lock.

The operation of the lock is obvious from the foregoing and is verysimple. When the lock is locked some or all of the kerfs' 36 will be outof aline-ment with the shanks, whereupon the reduced ends '35. willengage the lower edges of the notches 22 and hold the shanks 21 andshackle 20 in. place.

When it is desired, to unlock the lock the sleeves 40 are engagedbetween the thumb and fingers and moved until the proper characters 43are turned to aline with the index pointers 16, whereby the kerfs 86become alined with the shanks and permit the removal of the shanks andshackle, thus unlocking the lock.

If the lock is to be unlocked in the dark, or otherwise without lookingat it, the lock is turned frontward as indicated by the notch 28 and thesleeves 40 are all turned reversely until stopped in Zero-position bythe impulse pin 50 against the steep wall 48. Then each sleeve is turnedforward the required number of spaces, as determined by counting theimpulses of the pin 50 as it cams from one notch to another.

When the combination is to be changed, the shank being removed, the key52 is inserted, as in Fig. 4 and the bit pressed into the kerf to pushback the tumbler against the axial spring to disengage the polygonalportion of the tumbler from the polygonal portion of the sleeve, topermit the sleeve to be rotated on the tumbler to change the relation ofthe index characters to the tumbler, thereby to change the combinationof the lock. Each sleeve is thus rotated until the desired character 43alines with the pointer 16. The characters thus alined are noted orrecorded, and thus constitute the new combination. Thus it will be seenthat a new combination is in this manner automatically indicated on thelook while the tumblers are disposed in unlocked position.

The cylindrical and polygonal portions of the sleeve are of such sizerelative to the tumbler, that when the tumbler is pushed inwardly, asabove explained, the said portions of the sleeve respectively receivethe polygonal and cylindrical portions of the tumbler just snugly enoughto provide a good rotative fit between the tumbler and sleeve,permitting easy relative rotation of the parts without looseness, andfurnishing bearing surfaces whereby the sleeve and tumbler mutuallycoact to furnish bearings.

for each other and hold each other in alinement.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a lock body comprising end members havingshank-receiving grooves and cylindrical holes intersecting the grooves;a shackle provided with shanks engageable in said grooves and havingnotches register-able with said holes; a center plate disposed betweensaid end members and provided with upper and lower openings axiallyalined with said holes; center pin blocks fitting in each of saidopenings and each provided with oppositely projected center pins alinedwith said holes; and tumblers rotatable on said pins and each providedwith a reduced end engageable in one of said holes and provided with atransverse kert'.

2. In combination, a lock body comprising end members havinshank-receivin rooves C C! I:

and cylindrical holes intersecting the grooves; a shackle provided withshanks engageable in said grooves and having notches registerable withsaid holes; a center plate carried in said body; center pins carried bysaid plate and alined with said holes; and pressed tumblers rotatable onsaid pins and each provided with a reduced end engageable in one of saidholes and provided with a ker'f alinable with the groove.

3. In combination, a lock body; a shackle having shanks receivable insaid body and provided with notches; center pins alined with saidnotches; a plurality of tumblers, each formed with a body portion havinga cylindrical outer end portion, a polygonal inner end portion, an axialbore slidably and r'otatably received on said pins, and reduced endouter portion rotatable in said holes and provided with a transversecentrally offset kerf registeraljile with said notches when the tumbleris turned in one direction to permit the withdrawal of the shank and outof registration with the notch when the tumbler is turned 180 or anyother angle to said registering position to prevent the withdrawal ofthe shank; an axial spring compressed in said axial bore for yieldablyholding the tumbler in outward position; and a sleeve on each tumblerhaving index characters and a polygonal portion engageable with ordisengageable from the polygonal portion of the tumbler.

In combination, a lock body carrying index pointers and comprising endmembers having shank-receiving grooves and cylindrical holesintersecting the grooves; a shackle provided with shanks engageable insaid grooves and having notches registerable with said holes; centerpins alined with said holes; outwardly yieldably pressed tumblersrotatable on said pins and each provided with a polygonal portion and areduced end engageable in one of said holes and provided with a kerfalinable with the groove; and a rotatable index sleeve on each tumblerand each provided with a polygonal outer end portion slidably receivingor disengageable from the polygonal portion of the tumbler and formingfiat index faces each bearing an index character adapted to be alinedwith the adjacent index pointer.

5. In combination, a lock body; a shackle having shanks receivable insaid body and provided with notches; rotatable tumblers having theirends engageable in said notches to prevent the removal of the shanks,and having kerfs alinable with the shanks to permit their removal; indexsleeves carried on the tumblers and rotatable thereon for changing thecombination and lockable therewith for preventing such change; saidsleeves having inwardly turned flanges provided with a series of shallowindex notches one of which has one steep wall; and an index pinyielda-bly pressed into said notches and permitting movement in bothdirections except at said wall.

6. In combination, a lock body; a shackle having shanks receivable insaid body and provided with notches; rotatable tumblers having theirends engageable in said notches to prevent the removal of the shanks,and having kerfs alinable with the shanks to permit their removal; indexsleeves carried on the tumblers and rotatable thereon for changing thecombination and lockable therewith for preventing such change; the

inner end of each sleeve being formed with an inwardly turned flangeprovided with a series of index notches progressively approaching theperiphery of the sleeve, the end notch, nearest the periphery andpreferably at the zero position, being provided with one steep'wall, andan index pin yieldably pressed into said notches and permitting movementin both directions except at said wall.

7. In combination, a lock body; a shackle having shanks receivable insaid body and provided with notches; a center plate di posedintermediately of said body; center pin blocks carried by said plate andeach provided with transverse bores, and oppositely projected centerpins alined with said notches; tumblers rotatable on said pins andtumbler for locking the member; an index sleeve lockable with orunlockable from the tumbler; and a key for disengaging the sleeve fromthe tumbler.

15. In a lock, the combination of a case; a locking member insertible insaid case; a plurality of members arranged for providing a combinationfor locking the locking member in the case or unlocking it therefrom;the cooperative relation of said members to each other being alterabletor changing said combination; and a key for altering the cooperativerelation of said members to each other to change said combination; thekey being dependent for operation upon removal of the locking memberfrom the case.

16. In a lock, the combination of, a case having openings therein; alocking member insertible in said openings; a plurality of membersarranged for providing a combina tion operable from the exterior of thecase for locking the locking member in said openings or unlocking ittherefrom; the cooperative relation of said members to each other beingalterable for changing said combination; and a key insertible in saidopenings for altering the cooperative relation of said members to eachother to change said combination when said locking member is removedfrom said openings. 7

17. In a lock, the combination of, a case; a locking member insertiblein the case; a tumbler for locking said member; an index sleeve lockablewith or unlockable from the tumbler; and a key insertible in the casefor disengaging the index sleeve from the tumbler.

18. In a lock, the combination of, a case having openings therein; alocking member insertible in said openings; tumblers for locking saidmember in said openings; index sleeves lockable with or unlockable fromthe tumblers; and a key insertible in said openings for disengaging theindex sleeves from the tumblers when the locking member is removed fromsaid openings.

19. In a lock, the combination of, a looking member insertible in thelock; means for locking said member in the lock and unlocking ittherefrom; means for operating said locking means and having visiblecharacters thereon for indicating the position of the locking meansrelative to said member when said means for operating is operated;engagement means providing a zero stop appurtenant to said operatingmeans; and impulsive means engaging said engagement means for permittingoperation of said operating means in one direction to said zero stop forcausing the locking means to unlock said member and providing indicationby said characters of the position of the locking means relative to saidmember when said f r Operating s $0 p r ted and for permitting operationfrom said zero stop of said means for operating in direction reverse tothe first direction for causing the locking means to unlock said memberand providing indication by impulses of the impulsive means of theposition of the locking means relative to said members when said meansfor operating is so operated.

20. In a lock, the combination of, a locking member insertible in thelock; means for locking said member in the lock and unlocking ittherefrom; rotatable means for operating said locking means; therotatable means having visible characters thereon for indicating theposition of the locking means relative to said member when the rotatablemeans is rotated and having means for engagement providing a Zero stop;and impulsive means engaging said engagement means for permittingrotation of the rotatable means in one direction to said Zero stop foroperating the locking means to unlock said member and providingindication by said characters of the position of the locking meansrelative to said member when the rotatable means is so rotated, and forpermitting rotation of the rotatable means from said zero stop indirection reverse to the first direction for operating the locking meansto unlock said member and providing indication by impulses of theimpulsive means of the position of the locking means relative to saidmember when the rotatable means is so rotated.

21. In a lock, the combination of, a lock ing 7 member insertible insaid lock; tumblers for locking said member in the lock and unlocking ittherefrom; rotatable sleeves for locking the tumblers to said member andunlocking them therefrom the tumblers being rotated by rotation of saidsleeves; the sleeves having visible characters thereon for indicatingthe positions of the tumblers relative to the locking member when thesleeves are rotated; the sleeves having on their interiors a series ofindentations one of which provides a zero stop; and spring actuated pinsengaging said indentations for permitting rotation of the sleeves in onedirection to said Zero stop for unlocking the tumblers from said memberand providing indication by said characters of the positions ofthetumblers relative to said member when the sleeves are so rotated, andfor permitting rotation of the sleeves from said zero stop in directionreverse to the first direction for unlocking the tumblers from saidmember and providing indication by impulses of the pins of the positionsof the tumblers relative to said member when the sleeves are so rotated.

22. In a lock, the combination of, a looking member insertible in saidlQQk; tumblers for locking said member in the lock a d unl ck its-siren; retatable sleeves for locking the tumblers to said member andunlocking them therefrom, the tumblers being rotated by rotation of saidsleeves; the sleeves having visible characters thereon for indicatingthe positions of the tumblers relative to the locking member when thesleeves are rotated; the sleeves having on their interiors a series ofcurved indentations one of which has a steep wall providing a Zero stop;and spring actuated pins engaging said indentations for providing stepby step rotation of the sleeves in one direction to said Zero stop forunlocking the tumblers from said member and providing indication by saidcharacters of the position of the tumblers relative to said member whenthe sleeves are so rotated, and for providing step by step rotation ofthe sleeves from said Zero stop in direction reverse to the firstdirection for unlocking the tumblers from said member and providingindication by impulses of the pins of the positions of the tumblersrelative to said member whenthe sleeves are so rotated.

28. In combination, a pad-lock body open at the front and rear; alocking member therein; a tumbler movable to locking engagement with ordisengagement from said member and provided with an index memberengageable from the front and rear of the lock; and a transverse centerplate carried by the look and having its front and rear edges exposed,the rear edge being straight and the front edge being deeply notched fordistinguishing the front from the back of the lock.

2%. In a lock, a transverse member carried by the lock and having itsfront and rear edges exposed, the exposed rear edge being straight andthe exposed front edge being notched for distinguishing the front fromthe back of the lock.

25. In a lock, the combination of, rotatable index sleeves exposed atthe front and rear of the lock and operable from either front or rear ofthe lock; and a transverse imember for supporting the sleeves arrangedbetween ends of the sleeves and having its front and rear edges exposed,the rear edge being straight and the front edge being notched fordistinguishing the front from the back of the lock.

26. In a lock, the combination of, rotatable and laterally movabletumblers having kerfs in one of the ends thereof; index sleeves on thetumblers, the tumblers being laterally movable in the sleeves; and-a keyhaving a curved outer edge and forming a laterally turned bit forengaging the kerfs of the tumblers to move the tumblers laterally in thesleeves for permitting rotation of the slerizves for changing thecombination of the loc SAUL SHALER.

